The City of Helsinki and Aalto University are conducting a map survey to examine how residents use their everyday environments and how they perceive the association between these environments and their wellbeing.
The City of Helsinki, in collaboration with Aalto University, is collecting data on how residents experience their living environments and their wellbeing. This information is used in urban development and in studies examining the importance of different environments for residents’ wellbeing, as well as the accessibility of basic services on foot or by bicycle. The research data is collected through a map survey, in which respondents can share their experiences of everyday places, such as the area around their home.
Data collection will be conducted in two phases during May–June 2026.
In the first phase, Aalto University will mail an invitation letter to city residents randomly selected for the study.
In the second phase, all Helsinki residents will be able to respond to the survey. The City of Helsinki will share the survey link on its website and other communication channels.
The individuals invited to participate in the first phase were selected through a random sample conducted by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The random sample included 20,000 Helsinki residents aged 18–80. The participants’ names and addresses will be deleted after the invitation letters have been mailed.
In the second phase, any Helsinki resident can respond to the survey.
As the data controllers, the City of Helsinki and Aalto University are responsible for planning the survey, analysing the research data, reporting the results and retaining the research data. Mapita Oy maintains the survey platform and acts solely as a data processor. Mapita Oy does not store, own, or modify any data. Responses received will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will be used only for research purposes. Research findings are utilised in Helsinki’s urban planning and in the development of residential areas and services.
In individual cases, the City of Helsinki or Aalto University may disclose research material to research institutes and higher education institutions for conducting scientific and historical research and surveys. The material disclosed does not contain identification data, such as addresses, obtained from the Population Information System, and it cannot be used to identify an individual respondent. The disclosure of research data requires a separate agreement.
Data collection for the survey is currently ongoing. Once the research findings are available, we will update the publications on this page.
The City of Helsinki and Aalto University are responsible for the implementation of the survey.
If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact:
Tiia Ettala, City of Helsinki, tiia.ettala@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program), +358 931020511
Marjo Seppänen, Aalto University, marjo.seppanen@aalto.fi(Link opens default mail program), +358 504755341
Marketta Kyttä, Aalto University, marketta.kytta@aalto.fi(Link opens default mail program), +358 505124583